Boston’s Best Brewpubs Serving Seasonal Beer

One of the best parts of fall in New England is the chance to sip on seasonal beers at breweries around the area. Many of the local pubs feature their hand crafted autumn and early winter classics, with festive ingredients including pumpkin. This time of year is also the season to drink beers in celebration of Oktoberfest events, which occur world-wide. Check out Boston’s best brewpubs for seasonal beer like you’ve never had it.

Located in Harvard Square, John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House reopened post renovation and it’s gonna be a great season. It completely updated its menu, offering comfort foods alongside special fall brews from its on-site brewery. Dining options include soups, salads and appetizers including the Harvard Ale steamed clams or chicken wings. It also offers burgers, pizzas and entrees such as pot pie, pot roast or the bourbon and ale salmon. To wash it all down, fall beers will bring in the crowds this season with selections including Oktoberfest for $5.50 for 16 ounces and the Harvest Spice at $6 for 20 ounces, amongst a few of its regular drafts.

Right in Kendall Square, Cambridge Brewing Company serves lunch, dinner and even Beerunch on weekends. It prides itself on serving cuisine that is fresh, using sustainable, local New England ingredients when possible. It serves up pizzas, seafood, hearty sandwiches and entrees such as roasted chicken. Its autumn seasonal beer (available through Thanksgiving), The Great Pumpkin Ale, will be on tap this fall, available in bottles and on draft, to go along with all of the tasty dining choices. Cambridge uses organic barley, traditional autumn spices and locally grown ripe, fresh, sugar pumpkins to make the beer instead of purees or canned pumpkins. It’s 4.4 percent ABV and costs $5.50 a pint or $5.99 per 22-ounce bottle. In early winter (by December), enjoy a Big Man Ale at 7 percent ABV. It’s like an American IPA, but with more color depth and a rich maltiness to it.

Featuring five locations throughout the Boston area, Beer Works serves a wide variety of seasonal beers. In October, it offers Red October, a full-bodied ale said to feature a big malt flavor and a subtle hop finish. The Octoberfest Lager is also full bodied, yet with a soft, full malty flavor. Perfect this time of year, the Pumpkin Works Ale is a favorite, with its copper color and pumpkin pie spices. Another selection for October is the Centennial Ale, a German-style amber-colored ale with a full malt flavor. Then next month, in November, it will offer its rich, smooth, full-bodied beer, the Accelerator Double Bock, amongst the many options. In winter, it rolls out options including the Winter Works, a traditional unfiltered amber German lager. The beers are $5.50 to $7 per 16-ounce pint and go great with buckets of fries, pizzas, sandwiches or classic dishes such as fish and chips or steak tips.Related: Boston’s Best Brew Pubs

Take a trip up to Gloucester to Cape Ann Brewing Company for a visit to its brew house and to enjoy a free tour, followed by a pint. Its specialty craft beers on draft are brewed on the premise, with ample options available this fall. It offers autumn seasonal beers including the unique and fantastic Fisherman’s Pumpkin Stout (available through New Year’s) and the equally-as-tasty Fisherman’s Imperial Pumpkin Stout. Of course, it offers the standard Oktoberfest using heather as a special ingredient. Owner and head brewer Jeremy Goldberg is welcoming his first child this October, so they are serving a milk stout as well. All of the fall seasonal beers are available in either bottles or on draft, while the Oktoberfest and milk stout will only be available on draft at The Pub at Cape Ann Brewing Co. along with some select locations in Boston. Pricing to try out these beers and more is around $5.50 a pint with dining options ranging from $7 to $27 for everything from stuffed clams to fried seafood dinners.

Watch City Brewing Co. offers affordable dining options including its penne pasta bolognese for $13.95 and the beer-battered haddock sandwich for $10.95. Its the beer keeps the regulars coming back in time and time again. Beer enthusiasts may join the Mug Club and drink from a numbered mug each time they visit. Fill the mugs this fall with Clocktoberfest Lager, a malt-rounded, dry beer selection. Always a hit amongst visitors, the Pie-Eyed Pumpkin Ale is an October specialty too, utilizing sugar pumpkins, which are added right into the kettle during the beer making and boiling process. November and December, when temperatures start to drop, Father Time Winter Ale is in season along with a few other options. Beers costs visitors from $5.50 to $7 for a pint and pitchers start at $18.Related:Oktoberfest Special: Autumn Beers Made In Massachusetts

Michelle Levine is a creative energetic, young professional that is passionate about everything Boston has to offer. She loves to attend local events, dine out, and cook and wants to share her findings with you. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.